Nehemiah 2

God’s answer to Nehemiah’s prayer:

Nehemiah had spent days (1:4) weeping, mourning, fasting, and praying. From the passage we will read this morning, he also spent some of that time planning. As we read Chapter 2, look for evidence that Nehemiah had a plan together before he ever had an opportunity to speak to the King.

Read Nehemiah 2:1-8  

Is there any evidence that Nehemiah had already thought through what he might need prior to his audience with the King? Letters, Timber.

Nehemiah prayed for success. God answered his prayer and granted him success before the King. What do you suppose might have happened if Nehemiah had prayed that God would miraculously restore the wall without any human hands touching it, so that God would receive all the glory?

READ Nehemiah 2:11-16   

In V12 Nehemiah says that God was putting into his mind what he should do for Jerusalem. How can you tell if something that comes to your mind is from God or from somewhere else? Scripture, wise council, circumstances.

Is there a way to know how much of a given task I should do with my hands and how much of it I should wait for God to do through whatever means He chooses?

Nehemiah prayed to God but he also listened. When God spoke, Nehemiah acted. This passage challenges me to be sure that God is with me, but to do my part in the work as well.

Nehemiah 1 Prayers of Nehemiah

Praise – V5 Great and Awesome God

No Thanksgiving.

Confession – V6 Confessing the sins of the sons of Israel (acted corruptly, not kept the commandments

Intercession – 9-11  Gather His people to the place where he had chosen to cause His name to dwell

Supplication – V6 Be attentive V11 make your servant successful

Look for these parts of prayer. As we read chapter 1.

READ the CHAPTER.

What turn of events caused Nehemiah to pray?

Do you ever go days or weeks without praying? Why do people sometimes view prayer as a last resort?

Let’s see if we can identify some prayer parts in this chapter –

                See list above.

Nehemiah was very specific in this prayer. 

What sins did he list in his confession? Who had sinned?

Nehemiah’s last request in this prayer was for success. Why do you think he was able to pray so boldly?

Do you pray for success in your endeavors or do you stop short?

 Is there a way to be confident that the success we are seeking is in harmony with God’s will?

Understanding God’s Character through His Promises

Understanding God’s Character through His Promises

Numbers 14:18

The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion.

Why is this description of God important to us? 

We are rebellious and sinful repeatedly.

Allen – Children of Israel and us – Same

Does this passage describe God as someone who is never angry?

How does the Bible show God as angry?

1Samuel 2:6-8

This passage is part of Hannah’s song. She was Samuel’s mother – she was childless and asked Eli the priest to pray for her, and she prayed for a son. When Samuel was granted to her, she gave him to Eli to serve as a priest.

What do you think is the most significant attribute she ascribes to God? 

Job 19:25-27

In this passage Job is lamenting all that has happened and is speaking in response to his “Friend” Bildad.

What does this passage say that Job knew about God? (He lives, Job would see Him in the end).

There are lots of passages in the New Testament about Jesus eternal Kingdom, but this is from possibly the earliest recorded writing in scripture (estimated at 2000 to 2500 b.c. Isn’t it remarkable these key components of God’s plan are repeated over thousands of years.

 Does our view of God change depending on our circumstances? i.e. when our circumstances go from good to bad or bad to good?

These passages tell us that our ALL Powerful God is too big for us to totally comprehend.

Famous OT Promises

Famous OT Promises

Abraham

Genesis 12:1-3 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you;

² And I will make you a great nation, Lot of counting – 2 Samuel 24:9 1300k fighting men

And I will bless you, - Genesis 24:1 The LORD blessed him in every way.

 And make your name great;

And so you shall be a blessing; Mathew 1:2 – Abraham – to Jesus

 ³And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. Many OT fulfilling – Egypt, delivering Israel from slavery.

 And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” – Jesus

1)      Looking at the fulfillment of these Promises

2)      Who Do these promises apply to? – Abraham, Clearly not anyone else.

3)      As we look at the promises of God, we will see some apply to one person, some to Israel, and some to all of those with faith in God.

4)      Why did God promise to make Abraham great, but not me?Why can’t I take every promise in scripture and apply it to me?

The Burning Bush Exodus3:1-8

God kept this promise. He took His people to Canaan, but the timing was not exactly as Moses might have expected. God’s people alive at that time did not get to see this promise fulfilled (except Caleb and Joshua, Numbers 13).

What can we learn about God’s timing from this Kept Promise? God’s timing may not be what we expect.

How do we normally respond when we demonstrate our faith by believing in one of God’s promises, but His fulfillment takes MUCH longer than we expect?

What can we do in this situation?

A conditional Promise - Solomon at the Temple Dedication

1 Kings 8:22-24

God’s Promise and Warning

1 Kings 9:1-9

Who are these promises to? Solomon and his sons

Although these promises are not made to us, we can learn something about God by looking at them.

What do these promises tell us about God?

                God wants his followers to be faithful to Him

                Israel (and the Church) are used to demonstrate God’s plan and His Glory

                God keeps His promises

Promises of God – God is Able to Keep His Promises

Promises of God – God is Able to Keep His Promises

2 Timothy 3:16- 17 All Scripture is inspired by God 

Types of Promises

                Positive – Good stuff, blessings

                Negative – Correction, punishment

                Unconditional – “I Will …”

                Conditional – If you X then I will Y.

Before we explore God’s promises, let’s look at why we believe that God can keep his promises.

We all want to keep our promises. We want to be a “Man of our word”, but sometimes we don’t keep our promises.

What are some of the reasons we sometimes make promises, and fail to keep them?

               

o   Reasons beyond our control

o   We change our mind

o   We decide something else is more important.

Why doesn’t God have these excuses?

Matthew19:26 (nothing is beyond his control)

Psalm136:10-12 (He is steadfast, not wishy washy) 

James 1:17 (He will not change his priorities)

He is ABLE

Ephesians3:20  

Colossians 1:16 

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible.

Micah 5:2-4 Prophesy of Jesus' birth

Prophesy regarding the birth of Jesus

Micah 5:2-4   8 Century B.C.

Isaiah 9:6-7 Somewhere between 740 to 680 B.C.

Isaiah 7:14

Luke 1:26-38      10 months B.C.

Isn’t it amazing that God used the ancient prophets to provide notice of Jesus’ coming?

What can we learn about God from these prophesies?

                He is eternal

                He has always known that we would need to be redeemed

                He has always had a plan to save us

                His plan came to pass, and we can have confidence that the whole thing will be fulfilled

Jesus coming was prophesied, announced, and occurred. He showed up, lived a sinless life, then gave himself on the cross to pay the price for our sins. You have accepted his salvation, and in this joyous season we celebrate that amazing part of God’s plan that brought Jesus to us.

I’d like to ask you to think back over this past year, since last Christmas. There have been weddings, funerals, graduations, births, successes, challenges, and life has gone on. I’d like to ask a few of you to share how knowing Jesus has made a difference in your life over the past year or in other words, how has your relationship with the savior shown up this past year?

As we celebrate Jesus birth this year, I challenge you to think beyond the manger and to the presence of Christ, living in us day by day.

John 14:16-29 - Holy Spirit

Role of the Holy Spirit

Is that the  prompting of the Holy Spirit, or  coincidence, or just my own selfish desires?

John 14:16-29

What do these verses say about the Holy Spirit?

· Jesus asked the Father to send Him

· He is with us forever

· He is the spirit of truth

· The world does not see per receive him

· He abides with us and will be in us

· He is the Helper

· The Father sent Him in Jesus name

· He will teach us all things

· He will help us remember what Jesus has said

How can this person we are describing help us understand God’s will?

Romans 8: 26-28

²⁶ In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;  and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Ephesians 4:30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Genesis 1:2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.